Bangalore:
The BJP's grand plan of emerging as a strong force in southern
India is getting stymied by unending troubles in its ruling unit
in Karnataka which have sent the oft-flaunted "disciplined-party"
plank for a six.

Ever since it came to power in the state for the first time in May
2008, the party has been busy in balancing acts to save its
governments - three in four years.

In what must be a record for any party, even the third government
headed by Jagadish Shettar is tottering within six months of
taking over from the D.V. Sadananda Gowda regime which lasted less
than a year.

Its first chief minister, B.S. Yeddyurappa, lasted just over three
years, with his rule marked by scores of scandals and frequent
rebellions.

While he was troubled by the BJP's then money-bags, the
mining-scam marred Reddy brothers of Bellary, Yeddyurappa is now
on the verge of making Shettar his second victim.

Yeddyurappa brought down the Gowda government in July after
installing it when he was forced to quit last July over mining
bribery charges. He had then defeated Shettar's bid to become
chief minister.

The fear of the Shettar government going out of office when
assembly elections are due in less than six months is forcing the
BJP to go slow on taking action against 14 of the party's 118
assembly members who have defied the threat of expulsion to back
Yeddyurappa's new outfit, the Karnataka Janata Party (KJP).

The former chief minister quit the party Nov 30 to lead the KJP
and pitch it as the BJP's main opponent in the assembly elections.

At least six ministers are also openly backing Yeddyurappa in his
new venture.

These rebel legislators are playing on the BJP's desire to the
save the Shettar government. They are threatening to resign if
even a show cause notice is served on them seeking an explanation
for aligning with the KJP.

Such a step could lead to the fall of the Shettar government as it
will be reduced to a minority in the 225-member assembly.

The BJP's wait-and-watch policy has emboldened Yeddyurappa to mock
his former party. "They know who are the ministers and legislators
supporting me. Why cannot they just take action instead of issuing
threats," he has been taunting the BJP since Dec 9, when he
formally launched the KJP.

The BJP central leadership has to blame itself for allowing the
situation to come to such a pathetic state in Karnataka as it
papered over frequent rebellions in the state unit to ensure the
party stays in power for the full term of five years.

Aiding the indiscipline in the Karnataka unit of the party was the
belief among its leaders in the state that the central leadership
is itself a divided house.

A coincidence is that now it is Yeddyurappa who is sulking while
in May 2008 it was Shettar.

Shettar was upset that he was not taken in the cabinet by
Yeddyurappa when the party captured power for the first time. He
was forced to accept the speaker's post by the party central
leadership.

Shettar was not made a minister then as Yeddyurappa apparently
thought he was a rival.

By dilly-dallying when firm action was called for to rein in
indiscipline, the BJP may realise too late that it is a loser on
many counts - its claim to be a corruption-free, disciplined party
is proving to be shallow, the government is almost on its way out
before the assembly term and its bleak prospects of returning to
power in the polls.

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